


Sometimes, All You Need is Silence

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Empire Records (1995)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-03-04
Updated: 2005-03-04
Packaged: 2018-01-25 07:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1639220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rated for language really.<br/>After an 'incident', Mark gos missing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sometimes, All You Need is Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Written for carleton97

 

 

"C'mon boys, less of that."

"Trust you...to be...homophobic Joe..."

"Not homophobia, Mark. I just don't particularly like watching any of my employees making out in the lounge."

"Joe," interjected Jane, "leave `em alone."

"Thank you Jane."

"No worries, Lucas."

"Shouldn't you to be working now, anyway?"

"Lunch break."

"It's half five."

"I guess lunch is over." Lucas disentangled himself and shuffled back into the store.

"I'm still hungry though." Mark bounced after him.

Corey and Gina, across the room, rolled their eyes and gagged in unison.

* * * * * *

Half eleven. Deb wandered through the aisles, half-heartedly sweeping various bits of the day's debris around her. Corey stood against the wall, listening as AJ, over a hundred miles away visiting a college, excitedly rambled about his surroundings, leaving her only room for the occasional "hhmhm?" Lucas was absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on the counter, as the three-or-so remaining customers made their last-minute purchases.

The crash came from the upper-floor.

"That's the fourth thing you've knocked over." Deb pointed out.

"Sorry!!" Mark called downstairs. "Won't happen again."

Deb swept her way to the cash desk. "You know, I don't remember seeing Mark's name down to work tonight."

"It wasn't. He just wanted to give a hand."

"Uh huh?" Deb raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"Listen. Why don't you take off? There's no-one left, and once Corey's off the phone we can handle it."

"Nah, I couldn't let you do that..."

Another crash came from above. "Sorry!!"

"Seriously. Get lost while we still have an upstairs."

* * * * * *

The two boys walked down the quiet street. Lucas shuffled along, staring carefully ahead, whilst Mark walked beside him, practically skipping, constantly dodging the obstacles that were strewn about the sidewalk.

"So. What's up?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, Friday night, work's finished, y'know. Any plans?"

"What kind of plans?"

Mark stopped for a second. "Are you actually not sure, or are you just being annoying?"

"I'm being obtuse, sorry."

"Obtuse?"

"It's..."

"Never mind." Mark waved the comment away. Slipping his hand into Lucas's jacket pocket, he wound his fingers around the other boys'. Lucas shook him off. "Dude, What's up? You ashamed of me?"

"No. just don't like public displays."

"What do you call the employee lounge?"

"Okay, exteriour public displays."

"Why?"

"You never know who might be around."

"Man. Unduly paranoid."

"Not nessicarily."

"Anyway. C'mon, man, it's Friday! Don't expect me just to go and tuck myself into bed. At least not alone, anyway."

"Well. I'd invite you to mine, but Jane's over, and there are thin wall in that place..."

Mark pulled a face. "That was more then I needed to know."

The pair walked in silence for a few minutes. "My cousins are over too," Mark spoke up again. "And two of them are in my room."

Silence again. Marc huddles closer to Lucas, despite the warmth of the April air.

"Wait. My Dad's out of town at the moment."

"And?"

"And. I have this."

Mark dangled a key from his fingers.

"I didn't know your dad lived in town."

"Yeah, well. We don't really talk a lot."

Mark's voice trailed off, and Lucas knew better then to push.

"Anyway." He brightened up. "It's not far. Come on."

* * * * * *

Mark quietly pushed the door open. "Hello? Anyone here?"

"I thought you said he was out of town?"

"He is, but he could have a girlfriend or something."

"Oh. Okay"

Coast clear, Mark pushed fully through the door. Grabbing Lucas hand, he pulled him inside.

"This is it."

Lucas looked around the apartment.

"This living room is bigger then Joe's whole place."

"I know. The apartment is bigger then our house. Including the garden."

The pair stepped further in.

"Now, as far as I know, and I haven't been here in a while, the kitchen's through there, and the bathroom's this way."

Lucas followed Mark into the kitchen.

"Now, I know my dad has a liquor stash, and that while I'll drink anything, you in your pretentious black-clad-ness, will only drink scotch."

Mark was systematically searching through the cupboards.

"It's not pretentiousness, it's... Hold on. We can't break into your dad's stash. Not when he doesn't even know we're here."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Mark placed two bottles on the counter. Glancing at the label, Lucas' eyes widened.  
"We can't drink this."

"Why not?"

"It's over $100 a bottle!"

"Really? Damn, daddy's got expensive tastes."

Mark reached over to unscrew the lid, but Lucas grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Seriously, there must be something here that's not expensive."

"Okay." Mark turned back to the cupboard, emerging seconds later with a half-empty, label less bottle. "This okay?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

Grabbing two glasses from the sideboard, Mark went back to the living room. Lucas followed a few seconds later, to find him agitatedly flicking through the channels on the big screen.

"All right! Monty Python!"

Mark slumped back on the couch, filling the two glasses with amber liquid. Taking a gulp, he grimaced.

"Dude. How can you drink this stuff?"

Lucas sat beside him, and absentmindedly sipped at his own drink. As the Spanish Inquisition ran about the screen, and Mark's glass was emptied and refilled, he felt him unstiffen beside him, and when Mark's head fell to his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around his, and squeezed him tight.

* * * * * *

The next morning, Lucas awoke early, and worriedly looked around to remember when he was. He was slumped on the couch, his belt buckle digging painfully into his stomach, and Mark's head was lying across his cheat, Mark still asleep. He tried not to move, not wanting to wake the sleeping boy, when he heard a key turn and a door open. The creak woke Mark, and he sprang away from Lucas.

"Shit!"

Mark looked around hurridly, sliding the bottle and glasses under the couch. Seconds later, an older man, entered the room.

"What the fuck is going on here? Mark? What is this?"

"Dad, sorry. I didn't know you were back today."

"How did you get in?"

"I have a key..."

"That key is for when I know you're coming over. When your mother and I have arranged it in advance."

"I know, it's just that..."

"It is not for you to come over when I'm not here, and it's certainly not for you to bring people over when I'm away."

He pointed an accusing finger at Lucas. "Who is that?"

"He's just a friend of mine...

"I don't care who he is. I don't want him here!"

Mark glanced at Lucas, still sitting on the couch. The look in his eyes made Lucas get up quickly and run to the door. Outside, he waited for Mark, feeling guilty as he listened to the argument.

Lucas waited by the door, straining to hear the muffled shouts. He tried hard to make out the words, but the argument was inaudible. As the argument reached a crescendo, he moved away from the door, just in time to avoid Mark, who slammed it behind him and ran out of the building. Lucas stood shocked for a second, before running after him. By the time he reached the street, Mark was gone.

* * * * * *

"You haven't seen Mark have you?"

Corey glanced around. "No, not since you left last night."

"Shit."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't find him."

"Oh. Haven' seen him. Sorry."

Lucas ran through to the back room. "Have you seen Mark?"

Deb and Berko shrugged as Lucas yanked at his hair.

"Why?"

"I haven't seen him since this morning, and I'm worried if he's okay."

"What happened? Lover's tiff?"

"No, I just need to find him."

* * * * * *

"Hello Lucas."

"Hey Mrs Drew, Mark isn't home is he?"

"No."

"Do you know where he is?"

"No, sorry."

"Thanks anyway"  
"Lucas?"

"Yes?"

"I've just had a call from Mark's dad. It seems Mark was over there this morning, and the two of them had a bit of a fight..."

"I know, Mrs Drew, but I haven't seen him, I've looked everywhere."

* * * * * *

It was nearly dusk when Lucas found Mark. Cutting through the park, he found him, curled up inside a wooden fort in the children's playground. His arms were tightly pulled around his knees, and his face was shiny and streaked with dirty tears.

"Hey."

"Hey." Barely a whisper.

Lucas sat down beside him.

"Are you okay?"

Mark's head stayed down. "Yeah." Barely audible again.

"No you're not."

"No, I'm not." His voice was getting louder, but his head stayed tucked into his knees.

"You want to talk?"

"Not really."

They sat in silence. After what seemed like forever, Marc raised his head.

"You're still here?" Half question, half statement.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

They sat a while longer. Lucas inched his way closer to Mark, finally resting an arm across his shoulders. Mark flinched back, and Lucas almost withdrew his arm, but Mark leaned back against him, and silently began sobbing. Lucas stretched his other arm around him, and held him tightly as his body shook. Mark squeezed him tighter, so tight he felt like he'd collapse, but he didn't pull away, just held him. He held him as the sun went down, and until his tears stopped, and he pulled himself away.

"What time is it?"

Lucas checked his watch. "Nearly half ten."

Mark pulled himself up. "My mom's going to be looking for me..."

"Yeah. She's kind of worried."

"Really?"

Lucas contemplated not telling him... "You dad called her this morning."

"He's not my dad."

"Mark..."

"I mean it. He may be my father. But he's not my dad."

"Are you okay?"

"I wasn't. But I am now. He hasn't been my dad for years. I used to care, but I don't want to let it bother me anymore."

Lucas stood up and brushed himself off. "Are you sure you're okay?"  
"Yeah. No worries."

"If you're sure..."

"I am."

"Okay. C'mon. I'll walk you home."

They walked down the street in silence, Lucas shuffling, Mark bouncing along with his usual energy.

When they were in front of Mark's, he turned towards Lucas.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For today."

"I didn't do anything."

"You came to find me. You didn't have to, but you did."

"I wanted to."

"Thanks." He paused, "I'd kiss you, but I know you don't like displays of intimacy on the str..."

Lucas cut him off with a gentle kiss to the side of his mouth. Mark, shocked, just stood there for a second, before leaning in to kiss him back. For a few seconds, there was perfect silence.

A car horn beeped loudly, startling them apart.

"FAGGOTS!" An angry voiced yelled from then open window.

"Fuck You!" Lucas yelled back, flashing his middle finger.

Marc grinned, surprised. Lucas turned his head back, and leaned in to kiss him again, but Mark dodged his lips.

"You want to come inside? Or do you need to get back home"?

"No. Joe knows where I am."

"Okay then."

Mark took his hand, and pulled Lucas up the front steps

 

 

 


End file.
